Beside You
by LunarEclipse360
Summary: *Sequel to Until We Bleed* She rested her back against the frame of the bathtub and stared at the floor, her eyes seeing nothing but the two solid lines that confirmed her suspicions and her worst nightmare: Gabriella was pregnant.
1. Chapter 1

**Beside You**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**A/N: Hello all of my readers (if I have any left). Welcome to the overdue sequel to _Until We Bleed. _I've been trying to write this story since the other one, but it just evaded me. I know that _At The Beginning_ is due for an update, but between personal issues and another story that has been giving me hell, I just haven't had time to really write the next chapter for it. I find that my writing groove only comes between the hours of 11 at night and 4 in the morning, so I'll try writing the next chapter of ATB then. In the meantime, enjoy the first chapter of _Beside You_ and tell me what you think. Be mindful, though, there is a sex scene. It's easy to spot because it's an entire section.  
**

**Warning: Rated M for adult situations and language  
**

Chapter 1

He sat with his back facing the crowd; diligently sipping his beer as his eyes remained trained on the reflection of the brunette beauty in the mirror behind the bar. Her body moved fluidly to the beat of the music, attracting attention from every red-blooded, straight male. Her olive skin glistened with sweat, making it glow in the florescent light of the night club. Dressed in a baby blue strapless mini dress, she was definitely the main attraction; dripping in confidence and sex appeal. Causing all eyes to gaze upon her whether they wanted to or not. Arousal stirred beneath his navel as she lifted her dark eyes to catch his in the mirror. Her full lips formed a smirk as she stared at him beneath a lidded gaze. He smirked in return before dropping his blue eyes to the beer bottle in his hands. Almost a full minute later, he felt a presence ease up beside him before her voice broke over the sound of the music and requested an appletini from the bartender. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, taking in her profile as she waited for her drink.

"It's rude to stare, you know," she said; acknowledging his presence.

He tore his gaze away from her. "So I've heard." Looking into the mirror in front of them, blue met brown. "But it's hard not to admire true beauty when I see it."

"I'm sure your wife wouldn't be too appreciative to know that her husband has been ogling another woman."

Smiling, he looked down at the gold band on his left ring finger before meeting her gaze once more in the mirror. "She knows I only have eyes for her."

"Do you?"

He nodded. "If I didn't, then I wouldn't have denied the advances of the multitude of women I've had come up to me tonight."

"She's lucky, then," she said, grinning.

"As am I." The moment the words left his lips, her grin turned into a full smile and he was treated to a truly beautiful sight. Before he could continue their conversation, they were interrupted by another male walking up and sitting beside her.

"Hey, sweetheart, buy you a drink?"

Just as she opened her mouth to answer, the bartender placed her ordered drink in front of her and she smiled gratefully. "No, thanks," she answered, "I've already got one."

"Then how about a dance? I saw you earlier; you've got some sweet moves."

"I'm actually quite exhausted, at the moment." He could tell that she was trying to get this guy to go away, but he wasn't catching the hint.

"Well, if you're tired, maybe we could take this party back to my hotel room," he said, suggestively.

"Sorry, but," she held up her left hand, a gold ring glittering in the light, "I'm married."

"He doesn't have to find out."

Getting fed up; Troy stood and glared at the other man with menacing blue eyes. "She's not interested, alright? So, take a hint and go away."

Blue and hazel met as the other man stood and stared him down. "Hey, listen, buddy, why don't you mind your own business? This is between me and the lady."

"She is my business, so, technically, this is between me and you."

"And who, the fuck, are you?"

"Her husband, that's who, dumbass." The stranger's hazel-green eyes looked down at the woman between them; taking in the smirk on her face and the pride in her gaze as she focused her attention on the blue-eyed male standing over her. Without another word, he stepped away from the couple and fazed back into the crowd. Once he'd gone, Troy sat back down and sighed in frustration. "Arrogant fuck; don't know when to take a Goddamn hint."

She laughed, softly; catching his attention and easing his frustration. "What's wrong, Troy; jealous that some other man tried to make a move on your wife?"

"No, not jealous. More like…annoyed." She lifted a brow; not believing his explanation. "Alright, alright. I was jealous. Is that a crime?"

"Not at all. Besides," Seductively grinning, she placed her hand on his knee and leaned into him, "I like it when you're jealous."

"Really?" he asked, smirking.

"Uh-huh." She moved her hand from his knee to his thigh, inching it closer to his crotch. "It makes me so fucking horny."

Despite her wandering hand, he managed to maintain his smirk and keep eye contact with the beautiful woman in front of him. "I can fix that for you, you know."

"I know," she said as her hand brushed against the now prominent bulge in his jeans. "But not now." She sat up straight on the bar stool and removed her hand from its place between his legs. "Right now, I want you to dance with me."

He groaned, mourning the loss of contact, and ran a hand through his hair. "You're killing me here, Gabriella."

She giggled and stood; latching on to his arm to drag him onto the dance floor. The moment they were in the middle of the crowd, her body began to move to the beat; begging all eyes to pay attention. But there was only one pair that she really wanted to look upon her and they did so with eagerness and lust shining beneath their crystal surfaces. She beckoned him forward with her chocolate eyes and took a hold of both of his wrists, pulling him closer. He never liked dancing, but he made an exception for her. His body molded against hers as he wrapped his arms around her lithe body to hold her close. Their bodies moved as one to the beat; their eyes never leaving each other's. Like two magnets drawn to each other, their lips met in fiery kiss; igniting the passion that lingered between them. Tangling one hand in her hair, he pushed her head closer to his and plunged his tongue into her mouth; coiling it around hers. Feeling his arousal against her stomach, she moaned and pulled out of the kiss. He moved his lips to the expanse of her neck and suckled on her pulse point.

"Troy," she groaned, the vibrations of her throat catching his attention. He brushed his nose against her neck to let her know he was listening. "Can we get out of here?"

He kissed her throat once more before bringing his lips to her ear. "I thought you'd never ask," he said, his breath sending chills down her spine. He took her hand and led her towards the exit.

::

Just barely making it to their hotel room, lips and hands began to roam; searching for things to touch, to grope, to embrace. Pushing her against the door, he devoured her mouth while searching his back pockets for the key card. Her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt; prying it open and grazing his skin. Finding the key card, he swiped it through the mechanism and the couple fell through the doorway. He closed it behind them with his foot and pressed her body against the vertical surface once more; his lips seeking the sweet spot just below her jawline. His hands found her breasts beneath the fabric of her dress and kneaded them in earnest. Wanting to feel her skin against his, he reached for the zipper on the side of her dress; pulling it down and letting the baby blue garb fall to the floor. He took a small step back; eyes roaming over her newly exposed, half-naked body. The intensity of his gaze sent jolts of electricity through her spine, causing her to visibly shiver. Realizing the effect he was having on her, he smirked and took pride in it. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of his head, reattaching their lips. As their tongues battled for dominance, she reached for his shirt; slipping it off his shoulders and running her hands over his chiseled chest. Feeling the ridges of his scar, she traced its path from the right side of his collarbone to the underside of his left pectoral. It was the only thing that marred his otherwise perfectly sculpted chest that looked as if Michelangelo, himself, had created. It was the physical reminder of the past he'd underwent and managed to survive through; though not without a few bumps along the way. She pulled away from his lips; kissing his jaw, then his neck, his clavicle, and then his scar. She loved his physical imperfection as much as she loved him. It was a part of him; part of who he was.

Attaching her lips to his flat nipple, she outlined the areola with her tongue and looked up at him. One of his brows rode high on his forehead while his electric blues were clouded with lust. "That's new," he said, his voice husky and low.

She smirked and kissed her way to his ear. "If you can play with mine, why can't I play with yours?" she asked as she tweaked the nipple her mouth had previously been attached to. A low, guttural growl escaped his throat as he attacked her lips and pushed her as far against the door as possible. Grabbing one of her legs, he wrapped it around his waist before doing the same to the other and lifting her off of the ground. His arousal was evident through his pants as he pressed against her. There were too many barriers between them and he wanted them removed. Carrying her over to the king sized bed in the middle of the room, he dropped her, gently, onto the mattress and proceeded in taking his jeans off. She watched his every move; licking her lips as he disrobed. Once his pants were on the floor, he stepped out of them and crawled to her. He kissed her as he came to hover above her and barely felt her blunt fingernails scrape their way across his shoulders. He ground his hips against hers; wanting her to feel how turned on he was at that moment. She moaned into his mouth and returned the gesture. Releasing her lips, he trailed his own down her body; pausing only to give attention to her breasts. He took one nipple in between his teeth while the other was receiving attention from his fingers. She pushed her hand into his hair and grasped onto the locks of his auburn hair. She watched him through lidded eyes as he continued down her body; kissing every part of her he could reach. He dipped his tongue into her navel and she sighed softly as he played with her belly ring. Moving further down, he reached the edge of her lace panties and used his teeth to slip them off of her hips. Once they reached her knees, he pulled them off the rest of the way with his hands. His fingers traced their way up her legs before coming to a stop at her thighs. Wrapping his large hands around her upper thighs, he pushed her legs apart and grazed a thumb along her slit.

"Fuck," he cursed, outlining her lips with the single digit.

"Troy," she moaned. He smirked and did it again; feeling himself hardening in his boxers with each breathless moan that escaped her lips. "Please, stop teasing me."

"I like teasing you." Pushing his thumb inside of her, he watched as she arched her back off of the mattress and, silently, screamed. After a few seconds, he decided to switch fingers and plunged the middle one into her heated core. Resting his other hand on her pelvic bone, he used it to stimulate the pink bundle of nerves and bring her further to her orgasm. He kept his eyes on her face as he brought her into a state of ecstasy; enjoying the look of pure pleasure that vacated her features. He waited until she came down from the high she was riding before moving to get something from his pants pocket. He returned seconds later with a small foil package between his teeth. Removing his boxers, he ripped open the wrapper and pulled out the latex condom; sheathing himself in it. She could see the trepidation in his face, but knew he would never voice his agitation. Even though he would rather make love to his wife without the glove, he did not complain. He understood, perfectly, why he had to wear it; understood the reason why she would not let him anywhere near her without one. Still, she knew that he wanted there to be a time when they could have intercourse without using one. That time would come, but it wasn't now. Her fear of getting pregnant was on the forefront of her mind and would remain there until she felt comfortable with the prospect of having children. He removed both his shoes and hers, realizing they were the last articles of clothing they still had on. Kneeling between her legs, he kissed her knees before crawling back up her body to connect their lips. He positioned himself and, slowly, pushed his way inside. She gasped as she felt her walls adjust to his girth once more and his tongue took that opportunity to dive into her open mouth. As their tongues fought for dominance, their hips performed nature's oldest dance; joining two bodies and two souls into one.

Her nails dug into his sides as she slid closer and closer to the brink of another orgasm. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pressed the balls of her feet into the small of his back and changed the angle at which he penetrated her; causing him to go in deeper than before. He groaned at this change of position and buried his face into the crook of her neck. Using one hand to prop himself up, he used the other to hold on to her hip as he thrust into her with reckless abandon. His intention, at the beginning, was to go slow, but he could no longer find it in him to do so. He kissed her cheek before pressing his lips to hers. She came not long after, but he was far from done and eased her into another. As she felt her third build up, she tangled her fingers into his hair and grazed his scalp with her nails. He leant his forehead against hers as their breathing came in shallow. He looked at her face, wishing she would open her eyes. "Gabriella," he said, breathlessly. "Gabriella, look at me." Molten honey brown met Caribbean ocean blue the moment she parted her long lashes and gazed at the man hovering above her. "I love you."

She smiled; the most precious smile that he'd ever seen. "I love you."

Moments later, her eyes closed; unable to stay open as her body was rocked by her third orgasm of the night. He didn't mind. He loved watching her face contort as pleasure vibrated through her. Between the look on her face and the feel of her fleshy walls clenching around him, he followed her off the edge. Still riding their mutual orgasm, he continued to thrust into her until her muscles let up on their assault. When they finally did, he pulled out and rolled off of her. He removed the used condom and deposited it into the nearest trash can before retaking his place beside her. She sighed, happily, and curled into his side; resting her head onto his sweaty bare chest and listening to his heart as it returned to its steady beating. She fell asleep to the sound.

::

_They walked along the sand together; hands laced comfortably with each other. She'd never walked the beach at this time, when the sun was half-way visible on the horizon. It wasn't quite dark, but it wasn't quite light. It was a balance of the in-between: Twilight, you could call it. She'd never seen anything so breathtaking in her life. With her eyes trained on the setting sun, his eyes were trained on her. He was still trying to figure out how he got here; how a woman like her could be with a man like him. A man who had made so many mistakes in his life that he was sure he was destined to be alone. And, yet, here she was, loving him. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered the small velvet box inside and held onto it for a burst of confidence. Stopping in his tracks, he caught her attention and smiled at the confusion that crossed her face. He pulled her to him and kissed the knuckles of the hand he had been holding. He stared into her eyes before kissing her lips; never getting enough of how they felt against his own._

"_There's something I want to ask you," he said, his forehead resting against hers._

"_What is it?" He watched the curiosity play within her eyes and knew there was no going back from this. He knew what he wanted to say, but didn't know how. Should he just come out and say it? Should he try and make it sound romantic? Should he…? "Troy?" Her fingers touched his cheek; bringing him out of his thoughts. "Troy, what's wrong?"_

"_I..." He sighed and pulled himself together; summoning all the courage he could find. "Gabriella, you mean _everything_ to me and I still have a hard time believing that you're real. When I close my eyes at night, I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and you'll be gone. Afraid that one day you'll realize that you could do _so much_ better than me. I know I shouldn't think that way, but…I haven't had the best track record of people staying, so…" His clear blue orbs searched her russet-colored gaze, "if you'd be willing to and if you think I'm worthy, I was wondering," He moved down to a single knee and pulled the velvet box from his pocket; opening it and looking up at her with hope shining in his eyes, "will you marry me?"_

_She laughed and choked back a sob as tears slid down her face, nodding furiously. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, Troy Bolton; I will marry you."_

_He smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger. He stood as she stared at it with adoration. It was a single, half carat diamond cut and set in a white gold band. It was simple and she loved it. "I know it's not much, but…"_

_Silencing him with her lips, she pulled away seconds later; smile still on her face. "I love it."_

"_Really?"_

_She nodded. "It's not the ring that makes this special," She wrapped her arms around his neck, "it's the man."_

_He brought his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I love you," he said before kissing her. _

Gabriella breathed in the fresh ocean air as it drifted through the early morning. Not far from where she stood, the waves crashed against the shore; providing a soundtrack to her thoughts. She fiddled with the gold band around her finger with a soft smile on her face, remembering the day that Troy proposed to her. It was so out of the blue. She hadn't been expecting him to do it so soon, but had known her answer since the moment he told her he loved her. It was in that moment that she knew that he was the only one she wanted to spend her life with. He meant so much to her and she didn't think she could live without him. Their wedding ceremony was small and only included close friends since he had no family left and her father disowned her. Their friends were all they had left besides each other. Sighing, she shifted the bed sheet that she had flush against her chest; shielding her naked form from the cool night air. She wished that they could have a little more time in this paradise before having to go back to their real lives. A week-long trip to Puerto Rico had been their wedding present from her best friend and they enjoyed every moment of it. But, now, it was their last night. In just a few hours, they would be boarding a plane back to California; back to reality. She wasn't ready to leave just yet. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around her midriff and a pair of lips descending onto her exposed shoulder blade. Smiling, she leaned into the strong chest resting against her back and turned her head so she was able to kiss his jaw.

"What are you doing up?" she asked.

"I should ask you the same question," he answered, his voice husky and heavy with sleep. "It's no fun waking up alone, you know."

"Sorry."

Sighing, he leant his head against hers and looked out at the horizon. "Waiting for the sun to rise?"

"Kind of. I just...I don't want to waste our last few hours here sleeping."

He nodded; an idea forming in his mind. "Well, I know what we _could_ spend it doing."

She smirked and turned in his arms. "What do you have in mind, Mr. Bolton?"

With a smirk of his own, he brushed his nose against hers and stared into her warm brown eyes. "How about I just _show_ you, Mrs. Bolton?" Without another word, he kissed her lips and pushed the sheet from her body. He grabbed her thighs and lifted her; allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He, then, proceeded to carrying her back inside where they made love until the sun came up.

::

**One Month Later**

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

She could not keep still; she wouldn't, not with this possibility looming over her. Biting her bottom lip, Gabriella paced the confinements of her bedroom; worry lines etched on her forehead. As of late, she had been feeling rather ill; headaches, upset stomach, fatigue. She was, at the time, contributing all her ailments to stress, but when she realized she'd missed her period, she knew she couldn't just turn a blind eye anymore. So, that morning, she went to the nearest pharmacy and picked up a home pregnancy test. She really didn't want to believe that she was pregnant, but she knew it was better to be safe than sorry. Tiring of pacing, she took a seat on the bed and stared at the open doorway of the adjacent bathroom. It should only take five minutes, at least that's what the box said, and five minutes should have passed already. So why hadn't she moved? She was afraid, that's why. She was afraid of what the barely one inch thick piece of plastic would say. Pregnant or not pregnant. There was fifty percent chance that she wasn't…and a fifty percent chance that she was. That stick was the only thing that knew the outcome and she wasn't ready to find out. But it had to be done.

Gabriella sighed and mustered all of the courage in her. She stood slowly and took tentative steps in the direction of the bathroom. When she came to the doorway, she stopped and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Crossing the threshold, she reached out for the white stick and picked it up from its place on the sink. Her eyes went out of focus for a second and she had to shake her head to clear them. She bit her lip as she brought the test closer to her face. It crashed to the ground as she dropped it, her head spinning. She moved to the toilet seat and dropped to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. When she was sure that nothing was left, she wiped her mouth and moved away. She rested her back against the frame of the bathtub and stared at the floor, her eyes seeing nothing but the two solid lines that confirmed her suspicions and her worst nightmare: Gabriella was pregnant.

She cried.

::

_Sixty-six._

_Sixty-seven._

_Sixty-eight._

_Sixty-nine._

She was nervous; when she was nervous she counted. As she sat in the doctor's office, waiting to be called, she counted the tiles on the floor. She wanted nothing more than to just get up and leave, but she was desperate for a second opinion on the situation she found herself in. Her mind was unable to believe that she was…_pregnant_. She'd taken too many necessary precautions just to slip up once and get knocked up. Visiting her doctor seemed like a reasonable plan. Still, she made sure that the home pregnancy test and the box it came in was buried deep in the kitchen garbage can. She could not run the risk of Troy finding it. That was the last thing that needed to happen. Just thinking about it made her nervous all over again and, forgetting her previous place, she started from the beginning.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

"Gabriella Bolton."

Lifting her eyes from the floor, she stood and followed the red-haired clerk to one of the empty examination rooms. As she waited for her doctor to make her appearance, she tried to recant all of the moments when she and Troy had sex to figure out if she had slipped up on any of these days. But nothing came to mind. She remembered taking her birth control pills like normally and remembered him using a condom every time. It had to be a fluke, then. There was no way that she could be pregnant. It just wasn't possible. As she went through every memory in her head, the door opened and in stepped her doctor.

"Good morning, Gabriella," the Australian-born woman said, smiling warmly.

"Good morning, Dr. Edwards."

"So," she said, sitting at the desk, "what can I do for you?"

"Well, I haven't exactly been feeling well."

"And what are your symptoms?" She pulled out a pen and pad; ready to write.

"Fatigue, mood swings, nausea, headaches; stuff like that."

"Tender breasts?" Gabriella nodded. "Tell me, when was the last time you had your period?"

Thinking back on it, she realized it had been almost two months since she last had her monthly. "Not since March. You don't think I'm…?"

"It's a possibility," she answered, setting her pen and pad aside. She stood and went into one of the cabinets above the sink; pulling out a medium sized Ziploc bag with a paper cup and a vial inside. "Let's get your urine tested and see where this leads us."

Nodding, she took the bag from the doctor and left the room to find a bathroom. She returned minutes later and handed her urine sample to her doctor and was told that it wouldn't take long for the results to come back; that she was welcomed to wait in the examination room. Gabriella took the woman up on her offer and sat in the empty room, waiting; thinking. She silently hoped that the results would come back negative. She wasn't ready for this. She wouldn't be able to handle it. It felt like years had gone by until Dr. Edwards finally reentered the room; test results in hand. The woman had a look on her face that Gabriella couldn't decipher. The Aussie had her poker face on and was revealing nothing to the nervous brunette.

"I have the results of your urine test back and…"

"And?"

A smile spread itself across the woman's face and Gabriella felt her heart drop. "Congratulations, Mrs. Bolton; you're five weeks pregnant."

Five weeks? But then, that would mean…It all came rushing back to her; the moment she conceived, the event that caused the inevitable. On their last day in Puerto Rico, Gabriella had forgotten to take her birth control pill, but she didn't think it would matter. She thought that as long as Troy wore a condom, she wouldn't have to worry about being impregnated; that she would be protected. She was wrong; and the only explanation she could come up with for her current predicament was that the condom broke at some point during their activities. When that had been didn't matter. What mattered now was that Gabriella had a life growing inside of her. As Dr. Edwards rattled off about neo-natal vitamins, the shocked brunette buried her head in her hands and fought the urge to break down.

"Gabriella, are you all right?" the Australian woman asked, her accent heavy with concern.

Lifting her gaze, she nodded and forced a smile. "I'm fine, I just…I have to go. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." She took the filled prescription notes from the doctor's hand and shoved them into her purse before leaving. The moment she stepped onto the streets of Los Angeles, she could feel her resolve starting to slip. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the only person she needed to speak to at that moment. "Hey, it's me…Listen; do you think you could meet me somewhere? There's something I have to tell you…The restaurant by the beach? Okay, I'll see you there in twenty. Bye." Ending the call, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek and started towards her car.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beside You**

_by: LunarEclipse360_**  
**

Chapter 2

It had been so long since she felt this way; since she felt so _torn_. Hearing the news about her pregnancy put Gabriella at war with herself. Part of her, the one that wanted so badly to give Troy the family he deserved, was completely elated by this situation. But the other part, the one still hurting from her miscarriage six years ago, was utterly frightened by it. So many scenarios ran through her head: what if she miscarried again? What if she couldn't carry the baby to full term? If only she had been more careful. If only she had paid attention. Sighing, she placed her head in the palm of her hands as she tried to hold in her tears; the urge to break down was strong and threatened to take over. So caught up in her thoughts, she failed to notice the approaching figure of her best friend until the blonde sat down across from her.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, not failing to notice her best friend's distressed state, "traffic was a bitch." Removing her designer shades from her face, her light brown eyes connected with the dark ones of Gabriella's. "You all right?" she asked; concern shining brightly within her gaze. "You sounded a bit upset over the phone."

Gabriella nodded, absentmindedly, as she encircled her arms around herself; a sign that she was trying to keep herself from falling apart. Suddenly, the vertical shakes of her head became horizontal and a soft sob escaped her lips. Sharpay, sensing that the brunette needed her, moved her chair over and brought the crying woman into her arms. Nothing was said as the blonde tried to get her to calm down. It was minutes later that Gabriella found her voice stable enough to speak with. "Shar…I'm pregnant," she whispered and felt Sharpay's entire body tense. Pulling away slightly, the caramel-eyed woman looked at her best friend with shock and concern.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered, tears still falling from her eyes. "I'm positive."

"When did you find out?"

"This morning." She wiped the salt water from her cheeks. "I noticed yesterday that I missed my period, so, this morning, I bought a home pregnancy test…and it came out positive. Unable to believe it, I went to my doctor to make sure and…once again, it came out positive."

Sharpay nodded. "How have you been holding up since then?"

"Not good." Running a hand through her hair, Gabriella tried to regain the composure she'd lost and pulled completely out of Sharpay's arms. "I'm scared, Shar. I'm scared and I don't know what to do."

"Well, have you told Troy yet?"

"No," she answered quickly, her chocolate eyes going wide, "and I'm not going to; not yet, at least."

"Why not?"

She breathed in deeply. "Because I want to be sure that…that I'm going to keep it; that I'll _be able_ to keep it."

Immediately jumping to conclusions, Sharpay stared at her best friend with disbelief. "You're not thinking about getting an abortion, are you?"

"What? _No_!" Sharpay visibly sighed. "I meant that I'm going to wait and see. I-I don't know what that miscarriage did to my body; I don't know if it made it harder for me to carry children. I just… I want to make sure that I can give him children."

"And if you find out that it had lasting repercussions; will you still tell him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if—God forbid—that you miscarry again before you've reached the safe zone; would you tell him about the baby?"

Realizing what her friend was asking, Gabriella shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"I just couldn't."

Sighing, Sharpay grabbed her hand. "I still say you should tell him," she suggested, "but I understand why you don't want to. Have you, at least, talked it out with your doctor; let her know about your concerns?" Gabriella shook her head. "The next time you go, you should. She probably has the answers you need."

"Thanks, Shar."

"You're welcome. And, remember, I'm always here if you need to talk."

"I know."

::

To say that he loved Gabriella Marie Bolton was an understatement. He loved her more than life itself. Hell, she was his life. She saved him from a deep hole he'd dug himself into; pulled him out of the darkness and into the sunlight. He would do anything for her if it meant keeping her safe; even if it required for him to go to prison. She was worth it. But, sometimes, he allowed himself to hate her. Hate her for the things she did; for the secrets she kept from him. And he always knew when she was keeping something from him. He told her time and time again that she may have been a skilled liar, but she failed when it came to wiping her emotions from her eyes. Those warm, honey brown orbs were like windows; always transparent. She couldn't keep anything from him. One look into her eyes and he knew when something was bothering her.

This time wasn't any different.

Two days ago, when Troy came home from work, he immediately noticed something was wrong by his wife's strange behavior. She sat in front of a black television screen; staring at it like something was playing on it. Already suspicious, he asked her if there was anything bothering her; hoping that she would give him a straight answer, but was disappointed when she answered with the same ole' _nothing_. Looking into her eyes, he asked her one more time and received the same response, but her gaze told a different story. Knowing he wouldn't get the disclosure he desired, he dropped it from conversation, but kept it in the back of his mind for analysis. He was determined to figure out what it was that was causing his wife's usually bright brown eyes to become dark and vacant.

::

The sound of her retching into the porcelain bowl was what woke him in the wee hours of the morning. He looked over at her normally occupied spot beside him; wondering if he had just been dreaming it, only to find it empty. The noise once more caught his attention and he sat up; gaze diverting to the slightly ajar bathroom door. Hearing her vomit once more, Troy stood and crossed the room; stopping just outside the bathroom. He knocked before pushing it open and taking in the sight of Gabriella leaning over the toilet bowl as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Concerned, he stepped up behind her and used one hand to hold her hair away from her face as the other rubbed her back, soothingly. When it seemed she was done, she stood and flushed the toilet. His eyes never left her as she moved over to the sink to rinse her mouth out. He had never seen her sick like this in the two and a half years they'd known each other.

"You okay?" he asked, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

She nodded. "I'm fine," she answered before averting her gaze.

Inwardly, he sighed and moved up behind her. Using his arms, he boxed her in and trapped her body against the sink. "I know you're lying, Gabriella." He kissed her exposed shoulder. "Come on, babe, don't do this to me; don't shut me out."

Turning in his arms, she smiled up at him. "I'm fine, Troy; honestly, I am. I think that I just caught something, that's all."

The smile on her face was forced. He could read everything in her eyes and they told him that she wasn't okay. "Stop lying to me, _please_."

"I'm not." Sighing, he shook his head and started towards the bedroom. "Troy." She grabbed his wrist; stopping him from taking another step. Moving so she stood in front of him, she felt her heart sink when he refused to look at her. "Look at me." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning his eyes to hers. "I need you to trust me. Okay?"

"Only if you promise me that you'll tell me what's wrong?" She nodded, but it wasn't enough for him. "Promise me, Gabriella. I want to hear you say it."

"I promise," she assented. "Just…not now."

Despite the voice in the back of his head that told him to get her to tell him right then and there, he didn't relent to it. He had to trust that she would keep her word; that she would tell him when she felt comfortable enough to do so. It hurt that she couldn't find it in her to open up to him, but he wouldn't force her. "Let's go back to bed." He took her hand and turned off the bathroom light; leading her back into their bedroom.

::

"_I need a doctor!" the young man with dirty blonde hair said as he stepped through the doors of the emergency room. Gabriella clutched his shirt, silently crying. She was afraid. She had no idea what was going on and it scared her._

_One of the nurses came from behind the counter. "What's wrong with her?"_

"_I-I don't know." He was scared. He didn't really know the brunette female in his arms, but that didn't stop him from being fearful for her life. "She just said that her stomach was hurting and then she started bleeding."_

_The nurse looked at the blood caked on the girl's skirt and inner thighs before telling the man to follow. He did so, eagerly, placing her on a gurney moments later. The nurse called for backup and he was pushed out of the way as everyone began trying to figure out what was wrong with her. The head nurse came over to take a look at the brunette and started to add pressure to her abdomen._

"_Does that hurt?" she asked._

"_Yes!"_

_She quickly whispered something to the male nurse next to her and he disappeared. She, then, turned to the nurse who had called the emergency and demanded that she get every piece of information on the girl that she could from the guy who brought her in. After, the remaining nurses wheeled her into a room. _

"_Someone get me an ultrasound!" the head nurse bellowed. "And find Dr. Marco!" _

"_A-An ultrasound? For what?" she whispered._

_The woman smiled and placed her hand on Gabriella's head. "Just procedure. We need to figure out what's going on in there," she said, motioning her eyes to Gabriella's stomach._

"_O-Oh."_

_Minutes later, a male nurse walked in with an ultrasound. The head nurse quickly pulled up Gabriella's shirt and started spreading the gel on her stomach. She shivered at how cold it was, but didn't complain. She watched as the head nurse searched for the problem and became worried when she gasped._

"_What? What is it?"_

_The woman ignored her and turned to the male nurse. "Please, find Dr. Marco."_

_Gabriella tried to see what was on the screen, but the head nurse made sure to block her view. Finally, minutes later, a man—she assumed to be Dr. Marco—walked into the room; his eyes locking with the head nurse._

"_We have a problem," she whispered._

_His eyes looked to the screen and they widened a bit before going back to normal. "Get her into one of the GYNO rooms and get her hooked on an IV and started on local anesthesia."_

"_Will someone please tell me what's going on?"_

_He looked to her, a sad look on his face. "I'm afraid you've just had a miscarriage."_

_Shock and confusion ran through her as she was helped out of her clothes and into a hospital gown. Everything after that was a blur. She barely remembered being helped onto the stirrups or the pin prick of the needle piercing her skin. But like the nerve cells in the area, she became completely numb. A single tear slid down her cheek as the reality of the moment came crashing down on her. She closed her eyes, having no interest in seeing what the doctor was going to do to get the dead fetus—or what was left of it—from inside her body. Bringing her hands up to her face, she openly sobbed, still unable to cope with the fact that she had been pregnant and that she had lost her baby._

_When it was all over and done with, the nurses gave her one of the hospital beds and volunteered to call someone for her, but she declined. The only person she could ever think of calling was Sharpay, but she didn't want her best friend to know about this. The guy who brought her there came in minutes after she was transferred into a hospital room, wanting to know if she was okay. She plastered on a fake smile and nodded. Awkwardly, he wished her well and left, leaving her alone again. She didn't mind, however; she was used to being alone. _

_Not long after, Dr. Marco came into the room and began asking questions. Like the procedure, this was a blur to Gabriella. She answered his questions with a nod or shake of her head, using the same tactics she recently learned to use on her father, listening only to key words of the questions. When he was done, he left the room, wordlessly, and she rolled over to her side. She stared out the window at the now darkened sky and started to cry. Why did bad things happen to her? Why couldn't she ever have one good thing happen in her life? Curling into a ball, she cried into the pillow until exhaustion took over._

"Ms. Bolton?" Pulled out of her memories, Gabriella returned to the present and found herself the center of attention. Looking into her professor's irritated forest green eyes, she knew that he had asked her a question and she had failed to answer. "Do you have a response for me, Ms. Bolton?" The brunette shook her head as her cheeks heated up in embarrassment. "No? Then I hope that you will pay attention from now on. Is that understood?" She nodded and he went back to teaching; opting to call on another student to answer what he had inquired.

Gabriella sunk, slightly, into her seat; trying to escape lingering eyes. Drifting into thoughts of her past was unintentional, but unavoidable; a result of finding out almost a week ago that she was nearly two months pregnant. The weight of it all threatened to drown her and sink her beneath the waves of despair that she had gone through before and after her miscarriage six years prior. Realizing she had started to drift off again, she turned her gaze to her professor and attempted to listen to what was being taught. Soon the class was all over and she stood; gathering her things. Being the last class of the day, she was eager to get to the parking lot of UCLA's campus and head home. Head in the clouds, she neared her Hyundai Elantra—a substitute for her beloved Nissan GT-R that she had to leave behind because it was in her father's name—and failed to hear her name being called. It wasn't until a hand came to land on her shoulder did she realize she had been lost in thought. Turning, she smiled as her eyes landed on one of the many friends she'd made after stepping foot on the UCLA campus two years prior.

"Hi, Duncan."

Duncan Lane, the picture perfect definition of an all-American boy; good looks, dusty blond hair and baby blue eyes. She couldn't deny that the male was attractive—her female hormones wouldn't allow her to deny it—but he wasn't her type. He wasn't Troy. If she had met him before her husband, then she might have given him a chance, but she doubted that they would have had a serious relationship. "Didn't you hear me calling your name?" he asked, though the question held more of a curious tone than one of anger like the words depicted.

She gave him an apologetic smile; shaking her head in response. "Sorry."

Chuckling, he moved to brush a stray hair out of her face. "It's fine, Gabriella."

Feeling a bit uneven, she took a step back from him. It was a known fact to her, her best friend and her husband that the blond male harbored strong feelings for her. This subject matter was the topic of many of the few arguments that she and Troy managed to have. He wasn't comfortable with her being friends with a man who blatantly ignored the fact that she was taken. Gabriella knew he was just being jealous, but sometimes she did see where Troy was coming from; especially when he pulled stunts like the one he was doing just then. "So, um, was there something you need to talk to me about?"

"I was wondering if you were doing anything later. I got invited to this party down by the beach and I was hoping that you would be my unofficial date."

"Sorry, Duncan, but I can't; I'm supposed to meet Troy." It was a lie of course, but he didn't need to know that. In truth, she just wanted to stay home for the night. There was just too much on her mind. And, not to mention, there was no doubt that Duncan and his friends would be drinking and that was the last thing she needed to do in her situation. She also wasn't interested in letting anyone else know that she was pregnant.

"Oh, right, right; the boyfriend."

"Actually, he's the husband, now," she said, holding up her left hand for him to see the glittering wedding band on her ring finger. He stared at it with confusion and jealousy shining in his light blue eyes as a soft 'when?' escaped his lips. "He proposed on Valentine's Day and we got married over spring break."

Nodding, absentmindedly, he swallowed the lump in his throat and brought his gaze to hers; forcing a tight smile. "That's, uh, that's great. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"He's a lucky guy."

"And I'm a lucky girl," she responded, gauging his reaction to her words. She could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to say something; wanted to express his opinion on how he didn't think Troy was good enough for a woman like her. Who was he to determine that? He had no idea what kind of pain Troy had been through. He had no idea what kind of person Gabriella had been before meeting the blue-eyed male that held her heart. "Listen, I have to go; so I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Maybe when you're not busy with your…_husband_, you and I can hang out sometime."

"Maybe," she said, not really pleased with the way he said 'husband'. "Bye, Duncan."

"Later."

Turning on her heel, she heads for her car once more and proceeds to toss her bag into the backseat before climbing into the driver's side. She really didn't need any more drama popping up into her life; she had enough of it as it was. Between being pregnant, having to tell her husband about said pregnancy and the constant nagging of her best friend to tell said husband about said pregnancy, she really didn't need something else stressing her out. Pulling out of the student parking lot, Gabriella started on her way home without once glancing back at Duncan.

::

He hated this feeling.

Staring at the orange and black ball in his hands, he looked to it for the answers that he needed; knowing that it would never give it to him. He was feeling more and more frustrated as time went on. Throwing it to the side, he listened as it rolled away until the sound suddenly just stopped. Looking up, he found himself staring at the concerned face of his best friend. He forced a smile as the African-American male walked closer to him.

"So, is there a reason why you asked me to meet you here?" he asked, stepping further onto the blacktop.

Nodding, Troy sighed. "There is. Gabriella's keeping something from me, and I need your help to find out what that something is."

Chad lifted a brow; confused as to how he would be able to help. "How am I supposed to help you get a secret out of your wife?"

"Because, I know Gabriella. I know that she wouldn't have kept whatever it is from her best friend."

As realization washed over him, Chad begun to shake his head. What Troy was asking of him was something he wasn't interested in doing; something he wanted no part of. "I won't do it. I _can't_ do it."

"Why not?"

"Because, Troy, you're asking me to pilfer information from my girlfriend. Do you not remember how fiercely loyal she is to Gabriella? And if there is something that your wife doesn't want you to know, then there is no way that Sharpay is going to let that information slip to me; especially knowing that I might tell you."

"Can't you at least try?"

"Troy, look," He sighed, getting his words together before speaking, "I know that you want to help Gabriella with whatever it is that she's going through, but maybe…maybe this is something she has to deal with on her own."

"But, she doesn't have to!"

"I know she doesn't have to, but maybe she wants to. You have to be patient with her. With as long as it took for you to tell her about the shit you were dealing with in your past, it's the least you can do. When she's ready, she'll come to you; I know she will."

"I know it, too, but…I'm just afraid that when she does, it'll be too late."

"What do you mean?"

Running a hand through his hair, Troy took a deep breath before continuing. "For the past week, she's been acting distant; when I ask her what's wrong, she answers with 'nothing'. I've tried just letting it go, but a few days ago, I awoke to the sound of her vomiting. I asked her once more if there was something wrong, but she gave me the same response: nothing. I know she's lying; I know that there's something truly wrong with her and I'm afraid that it's something I won't be able to fix."

"You think she's…_dying_."

He shrugged. "I don't know, but the possibility is there and it scares me."

Sighing, Chad relented. "Fine. I'll see what I can get out of Sharpay, but if she kills me for trying, I'm coming back to haunt your ass."

"Thank you."

"So, since we're on a basketball court, wanna play a few rounds?"

Troy smiled and nodded, before snatching the ball from Chad's hands. "First one to twenty wins," he said before making his way towards the basket.

"Cheater!" Chad called with a broad smile on his face before chasing after his best friend.

::

As she climbed the staircase to her second floor apartment, Gabriella, silently, hoped that Troy wasn't home. She wasn't interested in his questioning glances. The only thing she wanted to do was take a bath and then climb into bed with a good book. Unlocking the front door, she was grateful when she was met by silence. She removed her shoes and quickly padded towards the bedroom. Tossing her bag onto the floor beside the closet, Gabriella proceeded into the bathroom and started the water. As she waited for the water to reach the right temperature, she stripped down to her underwear and moved in front of the full length mirror in the corner of the room. She stared at her reflection; her eyes flickering down to her flat stomach. Brushing her fingertips across the skin there, she imagined herself with a full belly; ready to pop. The thought brought a small smile to her face, but it was quickly erased by the voice resounding in the back of her mind that reminded her of her miscarriage. Shaking her head clear of all thoughts, she went back into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

For an hour, she sat within the confines of the bathtub and stared into space. After that hour, she climbed out and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel before allowing the water to drain. Moving into the bedroom, she dried herself off and applied moisturizer to her skin. She retrieved a pair of panties from the dresser then went to seek out one of Troy's shirts. Despite sleeping next to him every night, she found her habit of sleeping in one of his shirts hard to break; though, he wasn't exactly complaining. It also provided a sense of comfort when she needed it and she _definitely_ needed it now. She threw the t-shirt over her head and climbed into bed. Grabbing the book on the night table, she settled herself between the sheets and turned to the page she left off at. As her body began to relax, she began to drift off and, soon, she was fast asleep.

::

"Gabriella!"

Walking into the apartment, he was surprised to find it eerily quiet and without any signs of life. He ventured further into the apartment; calling out to her, but receiving no response. She had to have been home; the presence of her car in the driveway was enough to prove that. Unless she went to the beach to think like she usually did when something was bothering. With one room left to check, he walked into the bedroom and smiled at the sight of her sleeping soundly. He dropped his bag to the floor beside hers and crossed the room towards the bathroom. After playing round after round of basketball with Chad—his best friend didn't want to admit defeat—he was completely sweaty and knew that Gabriella wouldn't appreciate the smell when she was trying to sleep. He took a quick shower and returned to the room minutes later; clad in only a towel. As he changed into a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, the sound of sobbing caught his attention and he turned towards the bed. A frown settled on his face when he realized the sound was coming from his unconscious wife.

"Babe?" he called, wondering if she was awake; but when he received no response, he knew she was having a nightmare. Once he finished pulling his shirt over his torso, he made his way to her side and leant over her. "Babe? Gabriella, wake up," he said as he shook her shoulders and sat down beside her. Startled out of her sleep, she was a bit disoriented as she tried to remember where she was. "Hey! Hey! Look at me." Her eyes finally met his and everything came back to her. "Just calm down. You're okay."

"Troy…" Before he knew what was happening, she broke out into tears and buried her head into his chest.

"Shh! It's okay." Stroking her hair, he whispered soothing words to calm her down. Whatever it had been that she was dreaming about, it seemed to have a large effect on Gabriella and it made him curious to know what it was; but he wasn't going to push her into telling him. Minutes later, when she had quieted, he pulled away slightly and brushed her tear streaked cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "You alright?" She nodded. He kissed her forehead, then her nose and then her lips. It was a chaste kiss; a reassuring one. Pulling her onto his lap, he wrapped her legs around his waist and stood; hoisting her up with him. He settled against the headboard with her still resting against him. He stroked her hair mollifyingly and continued to do so until she fell into a deep sleep. Once she was unconscious, he moved her onto the mattress; pulling the sheet up over her body. He settled in next to her and brought her closer to him. Her head found his clothed chest and nestled into it, subconsciously. Smiling softly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let sleep take over.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beside You**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**A/N: I want to apologize to everyone who has been waiting for me to finally put this out. Believe me, I didn't want you to wait this long, but it was unavoidable. I couldn't seem to get this chapter where I wanted it to be and I finally realized why. The abortion problem. I realized that it was unnecessary, so I removed it. I changed chapter 2 last night (though just certain parts, most of it is still the same). If you guys want to go back and reread chapter 2 to see how I've reconfigured the story, you can, but I don't think you have to. Hopefully, with this roadblock out of the way, I'll actually be able to finish this story faster; which, by the way, won't be much longer. I plan to have this story finished by chapter 6 or 7 (I never wanted it to be long). I also want to thank my beta Luc for not abandoning me despite me abandoning my stories for months at a time.**

Chapter 3

Sharpay sat on the heated sand, staring at the horizon. Just an hour before, Gabriella had called and the two had indulged in a conversation that set the blonde on edge. Gabriella had told her about the nightmares that had plagued her sleep and daydreams about the day she miscarried. Sharpay knew that her best friend was at her wits end. It wouldn't be long before she broke. The blonde tried to convince Gabriella to open up to Troy; to tell him what was going on, but she refused. For so long the Latina had been left to fend for herself and she was used to dealing with things on her own, but this wasn't one of those things that she should have to deal with by herself. Sharpay tried to get her to see reason, but Gabriella would have none of it. Before she could get out another word on the matter, the brunette had ended the phone call; leaving the blonde to wonder how much longer before the stress of it all came crashing down around her. It had been a month since Gabriella told her about the unexpected pregnancy; a month of keeping the secret. She didn't know how much longer she could go like this. Chad knew something was up and tried on many occasions to get her to speak, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't betray her friend like that. Sighing, she sunk her head further into her knees and tried to block out the voice that told her that she needed to say something.

"Shar?"

Startled, she looked up and found her brother standing over her. "Hey, Ry," she said, smiling slightly.

The blonde-haired male looked at his sister with concern before taking a seat beside her. His light eyes studied her; trying to figure out what was troubling his big sister so much that she had become so quiet. It wasn't normal for Sharpay Evans to be so…still. "You alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine, just…thinking."

"Come on, Shar; you know you can't lie to me. I'm your twin, remember? I can sense that there's something wrong with you."

Biting her lip, she turned her gaze back to the ocean. She felt Ryan's hand rest on her shoulder and relished in the comfort of his touch. Since they were younger, she could always count on her baby brother to make her feel better. Pushing her breath through her teeth, she turned her caramel eyes to him. "You have to promise me something first."

"Anything."

"Promise me that, no matter what, you won't tell a soul what I'm about to reveal to you. Not Mom, not Dad; no one."

"Promise."

She looked into her brother's eyes and saw the truth in his words. Nodding, she leant her head against his shoulder and took a deep breath. "Gabriella's pregnant."

Ryan looked at the top of his sister's head; knowing that she was worried over Gabriella's mental health. He was there when the brunette told his sister the horrific events of her seventeenth birthday. If it was true and Gabriella was indeed pregnant, then…

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. She told me so."

He sighed; now understanding why his sister was so reserved. "How is she?"

"Not good," she answered, gaze still on the horizon. "She told me that she's been having nightmares; terrifying ones that wake her out of her sleep. I keep trying to get her to open up to Troy, but she refuses to."

"Wait. So you're saying that Troy doesn't even know?"

She shook her head. "No. She wants to make sure that she'll be able to make it past twenty weeks before telling him."

"Why twenty weeks?"

"That's when she's out of the danger zone."

"And how far is she now?"

"Nine weeks."

He swore silently. "What will she do if she does miscarry? Will she still tell him?"

"No. She won't tell him and he'll never know that he could have been a father."

"Shar, you have to tell Troy."

"No!" She stood and turned to her brother; looking down at him. "I can't tell him. If I tell him, then I'll be betraying my best friend."

"Well, at least tell Chad."

"I can't do that either. Telling Chad means that it will, most likely, get back to Troy and I'll still be betraying Gabriella."

Sighing, Ryan stood and grabbed his sister's hand. "Look, I can't convince you to do anything you don't want to do, I never could, but I hope that you'll take this advice from me: Do what you think is right, despite the consequences."

Looking into his eyes, she nodded and smiled softly; squeezing his hand. "Thanks, Ry."

::

As she stepped through the iron gates, a bouquet of white lilies held within her grip, Gabriella's feet led the way while a war waged in her head. She knew she needed to tell Troy about all of this, but she couldn't. It weighed heavily on her heart to keep such a big secret, as the one that grew within her body each day, from him, but she knew that if she told him, his first response would be to keep it. And she knew that. But, she needed to want to keep the baby for herself than to want to keep it to satisfy someone else. She needed to feel confident that she could go through the three trimesters of this pregnancy without feeling like something bad was going to happen. As she stopped in front of the nameless tombstone of her mother, she dropped to her knees and placed the lilies at the base of it. She lifted her fingers to the only sentence etched into the stone and traced each letter. When she was done, she brought her arm back to her lap and played with her wedding ring.

"Hi, Mama," she whispered softly. "Sorry I haven't been around to visit you lately, there's just…been a lot going on. I got married," she said, lifting her hand briefly. "He's a great guy; I think you would have liked him. He's the one I brought here a while ago. I don't know if you remember," She bit her lip as her sentenced trailed off. "There's something else you should know about, Mom; I'm…I'm pregnant," she choked out, fighting to hold back her tears, "and I wish you were here to help me. I'm so scared, Mommy. I'm afraid that I'll miscarry again and…I don't want that to happen," She laid a hand on her stomach, "not to this one. I just," Tears fell from her eyes and onto the soil beneath her, "I don't know what to do, Mama; I'm so lost."

"What are you doing here?"

Gabriella's head shot up and she turned around; surprised to see her father standing there. "Daddy." It had been nearly two years since she last saw her father and he hadn't appeared to have changed at all. He still stood tall; dressed in a grey suit with a blue tie. His hair was perfectly jelled back; his face as smooth as a baby's bottom. His dark eyes held the same contempt that they held that day when he told her she was no longer apart of his family. Standing, she brushed the dirt off of her jeans and looked away from him. For some reason, she couldn't look at him. "She was my mother," she answered; looking up at him through half-lidded lashes. "Just because you disowned me doesn't mean I should stop visiting her."

He said nothing; instead just stared at her for a moment before walking towards his wife's headstone. He sighed as he knelt into the lush green grass and placed a hand on the cool marble. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable; unsettling her, immensely. "Does he know?"

Startled, she hesitated; going over the question in her head before answering. "Does who know?"

"That boy you chose to spend the rest of your life with; does he know that you're pregnant?"

"How did you…?"

"I overheard your one-sided conversation. Now answer the question, Gabriella."

Casting her eyes to the ground beneath her feet, Gabriella fiddled with her wedding band. "No, he…he doesn't know."

"Why?"

"What does it matter to you? You disowned me; remember?"

Sighing, he refused to lose his temper. "Still the same selfish brat," he said as he stood.

"What do you know? You have no _idea_ what I've been through!"

His nose flared as his head snapped to her. "I know a lot about what you've been through, Gabriella. I know about the months after your mother's death and how you basically drank yourself to death. I'm surprised your liver is still intact. I know about the constant partying. I also know about the miscarriage."

She froze. "How…How did you know that?"

"I have eyes and ears everywhere. Not to mention, I had to make sure my sixteen year old daughter was staying out of trouble for the sake of my reputation." He took a deep breath; calming himself. "I don't care very much for the breed of boy you've picked for yourself, but I actually feel sorry for him for choosing such a selfish bitch like you."

"I'm not…" She stopped herself. She didn't want to acknowledge his biting words; didn't want him to know how much they affected her. Wrapping her arms around herself, she breathed in deeply and tried to prevent herself from crying. "It's better this way. What good would it be if I told him and then I ended up miscarrying again? I don't want to get his hopes up; only to have them crushed."

"Fine; go ahead. Keep this from him. But remember, Gabriella, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He's going to find out one way or another and he's not going to be pleased. You were selfish when you kept Alejandro's secret for him and you're being selfish now as you're keeping this secret from that boy you claim to love." She remained quiet. "Honestly, Gabriella, do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. You stopped being my problem the second I disowned you. Take my advice, don't take my advice. You just better hope that that boy loves you as much as you think he does." Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed towards the exit.

::

"I'm home!" He yells as the door slams behind him. "Babe?" The apartment was silent; like it had been a month ago when he had found her asleep in their bed. But, this time, when he went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found. He didn't understand how that could be possible when her car was parked out front. Crossing over to the window that overlooked the beach on the opposite side of the street, his eyes caught sight of her. Her short dark tresses blowing in the wind as she sat staring at the horizon. Sighing, he left the apartment and ventured over to the shore to join her. He didn't think that she heard his approach or even knew he was there by the way she sat unmoving, but when she acknowledged his presence, he knew he had been wrong.

"I saw my father today," she said, her eyes still focused on the horizon.

"Did he say anything to you?" She nodded, but didn't elaborate. He wondered why since she had always told him what her father had said; even before they got together. Although he wanted to know, he didn't push it. He didn't want to make her even more upset than she already was. "Don't let it get to you, Gabriella. You know just as well as I do that he only says what he does to get under your skin; to make you feel bad about yourself. I honestly doubt that he ever had a heart."

"I know, but…" She sighed, "what if he's right? What if every name he's ever called me was…is a perfect description of who I am?"

"But they're not," he said, grabbing her chin and turning her head so that he could look into her eyes. "I promise you that they're not."

"Troy," she breathed before wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head into his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"For what?" he asked as confusion ran through his veins. She just shook her head, however, and remained silent. Knowing he wouldn't get an answer out of her, he just wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as their positions would allow. He hated being so clueless in all of this, but there was nothing he could do. Gabriella refused to tell him, Sharpay remained tight-lipped about it and Chad, although he said he knew nothing, wasn't talking.

::

Silence filled the car as Troy drove towards their destination; neither pleasant nor awkward, it was just there. From the corner of his eye, Troy glanced at his wife as she stared out the window. He wished that she would say what was on her mind and clue him in to what was distressing her. He hoped, though, that where he was taking her would cheer her up. Ever since finding her on the beach, all he had wanted to do was make her forget about everything. He wanted to see her smile again, even if it was only for a little while. Troy turned his attention back to the road and continued to drive through the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills. Finally, he rounded one more bend and a soft gasp escaped Gabriella's lips. There, in front of them, was the Los Angeles skyline lit up in all its glory. When he stopped the car, she climbed out and walked to the fence that prevented visitors from falling down the steep hillside. Turning off the car, Troy got out and joined her at the fence.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

He glanced at her before looking at the cityscape. "I thought you'd like it."

She smiled softly and answered, "I love it."

His eyes flickered in her direction once more; this time remaining on her face to take in the sight of the smile that had shown itself only a few, rare times in the past month. Reaching between them, his hand found hers and grasped it. Her gaze was averted to their conjoined hands and her soft smile widened a little bit. She looked up into his eyes and intertwined their fingers.

"Thank you," she said; sincerity in her voice.

"For what?"

"For this," she answered, looking to the city lights for a moment before turning back to him. "For putting up with me for the past month."

He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. "I would do anything for you; you know that right?"

She nodded. "I do."

Blue stared into brown; both pair of eyes shining in the light from the city below. He was expecting her to tell him everything, but she stayed silent. He should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy. Sighing, he pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his mid-section and buried her face into his shirt. His arms returned the embrace and he sighed once more. "I just wish you would talk to me," he whispered. The smile that had been on her face slipped off and her conversation with her father crept back in her mind; his words haunting her.

"_You were selfish when you kept Alejandro's secret for him and you're being selfish now as you're keeping this secret from that boy you claim to love."_

"Troy, can we go home?"

He pulled away slightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod, "I'm just tired."

She was lying again, but he let it go. "Alright." Kissing her nose, he took her hand and they walked back to the car together.

::

It had taken Sharpay two days to mull over her brother's words. She needed a second opinion from someone who could see the situation from a different perspective. So, that was why she was currently standing outside of her boyfriend's apartment; waiting for him to answer the door. She knew that she couldn't tell Troy—it was too much of a direct betrayal—so she decided to tell Chad; hoping that maybe he could help. She knew that she could, hopefully, convince Chad to secrecy if he knew how serious this was. Maybe she could even convince him to try and talk some sense into her best friend. Sighing, she knocked once more on Chad's front door and waited. Moments later the door opened, revealing her boyfriend to be dressed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

"Hey, Shar."

"Hi." She reached up and kissed him softly. "Can we talk?"

Nodding, he opened the door further. She stepped in and headed immediately for the living room. He followed; curious as to what she had to say that had her so on edge. There was no doubt in his mind that something was wrong with his, usually, bubbly girlfriend. "What's wrong?" he asked as she took a seat on his couch.

Looking up into his brown eyes, she patted the space beside her. "Sit." He obliged and took a seat beside her. "There's…there's something that I need to tell you." She took a breath. "It's about Gabriella."

Curiosity bubbled beneath his skin. This was the information that he had been trying to get from her for a couple of days and now, here she was, ready to give him what he's been asking for. Whatever it was that Gabriella was keeping from Troy, it had to be something serious if it caused Sharpay to go against her loyalty to the brunette. "What is it?"

She ran a hand through her blonde hair; preparing herself to do what must be done. "Gabriella is… Gabriella is… S-She's pregnant."

Confused and shocked, he rubbed his forehead. "What?"

"She's pregnant."

"And that's what she's been keeping from Troy; that she's pregnant? I-I don't… I don't understand. Why would she keep that from him?"

"Because there's more to it than you know." His lifted his brow, waiting for her to answer. "She's been pregnant before and she…miscarried. So now she's afraid that it'll happen again. That's why she won't tell him. She wants to wait until she's certain that she's not going to miscarry again."

"Does he know about what happened?" She nodded and he sighed. "He's going crazy with worry over her. He thinks…he thinks she's dying."

"She might as well be. She's terrified and the nightmares don't help."

"Yeah, he told me about those."

"I don't know what to do anymore." She took a deep breath. "Look, I know that Troy's been asking you to try and get information from me, but _please_ don't tell him what I just told you. It's bad enough that I told you and Ryan, but if Troy were to find out, Gabi would never forgive me."

"Then why did you tell me?"

"I was hoping that you'd talk to her."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because, Chad, you're not as emotionally invested in this as Troy and I are."

"Shar, she's like a sister to me. Of course I'm emotionally invested."

"Please, Chad," she begged. "Please, I need you to do this for me."

Sighing, he relented. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Thank you." She threw her arms around his neck and held him close. "Thank you, so much." He hesitated, but wrapped his arms around her slender body. Gabriella was the closest thing to a sister that Sharpay would get and the blonde loved her dearly. Even though he had started to see the Latina as a little sister, sometimes…sometimes he hated her. He hated her for hurting her best friend in the ways that she had. He wanted to tell her how selfish she was being, and had been in the past. She had a husband and a sister that would do anything for her, but all Gabriella saw was herself. She didn't realize she had a strong support system behind her and that she didn't have to go through this situation on her own. He, honestly, couldn't wait to speak to the brunette. He was going to make sure she knew the pain she was causing both Sharpay and Troy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Beside You**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**A/N: Yay! I managed to get this in in just over a month. I know you guys are happy. This chapter didn't give me as much of a headache to finish like the other one, but I still had a tough time.  
**

Chapter 4

'_Focus, Gabriella; focus.'_

Staring at the open notebook, the brunette tried to make out the words written; but it was in vain. A week and a half of interrupted sleep was beginning to take its toll on her and on her ability to concentrate during classes. All of her professors were worried about her. Up until this point, Gabriella had been a model student and they wondered what had happened to cause her sudden downfall. Realizing that she wasn't going to get any studying done for her upcoming finals, she closed the notebook with a defeated sigh and rested her head atop crossed arms. She didn't know what she was going to do. She knew that if she failed her finals, it wouldn't put that much of a dent in her overall grade; but keeping her grade point average where it was at that moment was the agreement between her and Vance Evans in order for him to keep paying for her school tuition. Passing her finals was a must.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Lifting her head, she allowed a soft smile to grace her lips. "Hi, Duncan."

He returned the gesture and took a seat across from her. His smile, however, slipped from his face when he noticed the tired look in her dark eyes. The once vibrant brown had a dull haze filtered over it. "You all right? You seem a bit…out of it."

"No," she answered with a shake of her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just…" She ran a hand through her short, dark tresses. "I'm frustrated and I'm tired and…" Biting her lip, she could feel the tears stinging at the corners of her eyes and fought to hold them back. "I don't know how much longer I can do this," she whispered as a few tears broke through and slid down her cheeks.

Duncan stared at the woman with concern written across his face. He stood and moved so that he was seated beside her. His hand found her back and he began rubbing soothing circles through her shirt. "Tell me what happened, Gabriella."

"I…I'm pregnant," she admitted. "I'm pregnant and I'm scared and between the nausea and these horrible nightmares I keep having, I haven't slept through the night for the past week and a half." It felt weird telling all of this to Duncan since she hadn't even told Troy, but she needed someone else to know. She needed someone who wasn't in her circle of friends where it might get back to her husband. She needed a neutral party in all of this.

'_Pregnant?'_ Duncan could feel the jealousy boiling beneath his skin, but he kept it at bay. Gabriella needed to be comforted; not have him go into a jealous rage. "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head. "No." Wiping the tears from her face she stood; nearly stumbling as exhaustion began to take over.

"Whoa." He caught her before she fell and helped her regain her balance. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired."

"Want me to take you home?"

"No, thank you," she responded; standing up straight. "I'll just hail a cab."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I know you have a class in fifteen minutes; I don't want to make you miss it because of me."

"Gabriella, you know I'd do anything for you."

Nodding, she smiled. "I know, but I'll be okay; promise."

Sighing, he touched her arm. "Fine, but only if you swear you'll call me when you get home."

"I will. I swear it."

"Alright. Then at least let me help you outside."

"That would be nice; thank you."

::

"_Are you sure you're okay? I can take off of work if you need me to."_

Gabriella smiled, faintly, at Troy's words as she climbed the staircase to their second floor apartment. "I'm fine, Troy; I promise. I'm just exhausted, so I took a cab home and I need you to pick up my car after your shift ends."

"_Yeah, sure. No problem. Anything else I can pick up for you?"_

"Um…rocky road ice cream would be nice."

He chuckled. _"Then rocky road ice cream you will receive."_

"Thanks, Troy."

"_You're welcome, Gabriella. You know I'd do anything for you."_

"I know." She froze as she got to the landing between the first and second floor; surprised to see Chad Danforth sitting at the top stair. "Look, I just got home and I'm really tired; so I'll see you when you get home."

"_Alright. I love you."_

"Love you, too." Ending the call, she stuck her phone back into her pocket. "What are you doing here, Chad?" she asked as she climbed the rest of the stairs to the second floor landing.

"Came to talk to you," he responded; standing to allow her to get to her front door.

"About what?" Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her keys and proceeded to unlock the door.

Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Sharpay told me what's going on with you."

Hand frozen on the door knob, she turned her head towards him. Her eyes searched his for any signs of lies; but all she found was truth in his dark gaze and she knew that her best friend had betrayed her trust. She bit her lip as she stepped back from the door. "How…how much did she tell you?"

"Everything."

Frustration began to build again as she bunched up strands of her hair between her fingers. She couldn't believe Sharpay; couldn't believe that the blonde could not keep her secret. But, as much as she wanted to blame her best friend, she couldn't find it in her to. Sharpay had been the closest she'd had to a sister; she loved her dearly. Still, though, it hurt. With a soft sigh, she leant against the wall and turned her eyes to the man; who had been staring intently at her. "Please don't tell Troy."

"I won't."

"Thank y-"

"Because you will."

"What?" She looked at him as if he had sprouted another head. "If Shar told you everything, then you know why I can't do that."

"Gabriella, do you want to know what I hear _every day_ from Troy?" he asked; though he didn't give her a chance to respond as he continued. "It's always about how worried he is about you. Don't you realize that he's practically killing himself trying to figure out what's wrong with you? I mean…he even told me that he thinks you're dying."

"He…he said that?"

"Yes. He loves you with his whole heart, but you're breaking it by not telling him the truth and easing his concern."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because what happens if I miscarry again? How do you think he'll feel if that happens?" Chad stayed silent as he thought about it. "He'll be heartbroken; that's what will happen. You know just as much as I that having kids means so much to him."

"But you mean even more. You have to tell him."

She shook her head. "It's better this way; it's better that he doesn't know until I'm sure that nothing will happen."

His face shifted to a scowl. "Do you even care about him?"

"You know I do, Chad; but…"

"No, I don't think you do. If you did, then he would know the truth and he wouldn't be worrying himself to death over you." He shook his head. "You're selfish, Gabriella. You were selfish when you tried to commit suicide three years ago and you're being selfish now. You know how much this is affecting Troy, yet, you choose to keep him in the dark because you think you're helping him. You're not." She lowered her head as her father's words began to swirl through her head; holding the same meaning as Chad's did now. "Tell him," he said, moving closer to him. "You either tell him…or I will." With that said Chad turned and started down the stairs; leaving Gabriella to contemplate his threat.

::

Troy pulled into the parking space with a tub of rocky road ice cream sitting in the front seat. After she had called him, he didn't hesitate in requesting the rest of the night off so that he could go home early. He knew that she would be upset with him for skipping the rest of his shift, but he needed to make sure she was all right. Besides, he had confidence that the ice cream would serve as a peace treaty and an apology. Grabbing the grocery bag, he climbed out of the car and hit the lock button after closing the door behind him. He was surprised, however, to see his best friend exiting his apartment building.

"Chad?"

At hearing his name, the male looked towards the voice that called him. "Hey."

Walking up him, Troy's eyes held confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Not wanting to alert the blue-eyed male to the fact that he knew what was going on with Gabriella, he shrugged. "Just talking to Gabriella about something."

"About what?"

He sighed. "I didn't want to say anything, but…we were talking about what to do for you for your birthday."

"You know I don't want to do anything special."

"Yeah, I know, but Shar's been talking about having a party and you know how she gets."

"Please talk her out of it. I'd just rather have something where it's just you, me and the girls; no one else."

"I will definitely do that."

"Thanks."

Chad faked a smile. "Well, I better get going."

"Later."

"See ya."

Troy watched Chad leave; a part of his mind still suspicious about what his best friend had to talk to his wife about. Though the story he was fed seemed credible, that still didn't explain the troubled look that was on the man's face when he walked out of the building. Something had been bothering him; it had nothing to do with a party and everything to do with Gabriella. Could it be possible that Chad knew what was going on with Gabriella? Shaking his head, he pushed the thought out. If Chad knew, then he would have come straight to Troy with that information; not speak to Gabriella about it. Clutching the bag with the ice cream, he made his way up to his apartment.

"Gabriella?"

The woman in question walked out of the kitchen; confusion on her face. "Troy? What are you doing home so early?"

"Decided to take the rest of the day off to make sure you were okay."

"Babe, I told you I was fine and that you didn't need to forfeit the rest of your work day for me."

"I know, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes." She sighed. "I did bring the rocky road, though."

Smiling, she reached for it. "Well, then, I guess I can't stay mad at you." She took the bag from his hand and opened it. Her eyes went wide as she spotted the ice cream. Moving to one of the drawers, she reached in and pulled out two spoons. "Wanna share it?" she asked him.

"You didn't think you were actually going to eat that alone, did you?" He moved towards her and took one spoon from her hand. "Of course I want to share it." Standing side by side, the two indulged in the frozen treat. Silence passed between them for a few minutes before Troy decided to question her about why his best friend had been there. The suspicions wouldn't end and he needed to see if Gabriella would back up Chad's claims. "I saw Chad outside."

She froze; her entire body becoming tense. "You did?" she asked, licking the ice cream from the spoon. He responded with a curt 'yes'; still waiting to see what she might do…or say. "And did he…did he say anything to you?"

He shrugged. "He told me that he came to talk to you."

"And?"

"And…that's it."

Her eyes turned to his. "That's it?"

"Yeah. Unless there's something I should know."

She shook her head. "No. There's nothing."

"Gabriella," he sighed, moving so that he was behind her. "Haven't you realized, yet, that you can't lie to me?" She smiled, slightly; knowing he was right. Her skills of deceit had never been great when he was involved and had gotten even worse after they married. He could see right through her and it made it hard to keep things from him. Feeling his hands on her waist, she was brought out of her thoughts. "Come on, babe; you know I'm always here for you." She did know. She'd known it since that day that she had broken down in front of him and he did nothing but hold her.

"Troy?"

"Hm," he hummed as he placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

"What would you say if I told you I wanted to try?"

Confusion crossed his face. "Try? Try what?"

She turned in his arms, but refused to look at him; instead she fiddled her fingers. "Try for…for…you know."

Realization swept over him as the missing words fell into place. "You mean you want to try for a baby?"

Nodding, she finally looked at him; wanting to see his reaction. "Yes."

"Are you sure? We could wait for another year or so. We don't have to do this now."

"I'm sure." She looked away for a moment; hiding her eyes from his to mask the truth. "I've been thinking about it for a while and…" Her eyes found his again and her hand touched his cheek, "I'm sure. I want this." He grasped her hand and placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist before ducking his head and finding her lips. Before anything could get started, her cellphone rang from inside of her bag. His hand on her waist tightened; signaling her to ignore it, but she broke the kiss anyway. She smiled apologetically before going to retrieve her phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Gabriella."_

"Hey, Duncan." There was an annoyed look on Troy's face when she spoke the name of the male he had no patience for. She rolled her eyes at his childish behavior and continued with her conversation. "What's up?"

"_Just checking to see if you made it home. You never called me."_

"Shit. I'm so sorry. I know you must have been worried."

"_I was, but it's okay. Did you at least get some of that rest that you need?"_

"No, not yet. I was…" She looked over at Troy, "busy."

"_Oh. Sorry if I interrupted you."_

"It's fine, Duncan, really."

"_Are you gonna try to come to class tomorrow?"_

"Yeah."

"_Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow."_

"Thank you for making sure I was okay."

"_You're welcome. You know I'd do anything for you."_

She smiled slightly. "Bye, Duncan."

"_Bye."_

Ending the call, her eyes met Troy's and took note of the anger written there. Troy had never been a big fan of Duncan from day one and it surely didn't help when he found out that the male harbored feelings for Gabriella. Sighing, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Stop frowning."

"How can I when you won't cut the cord on that guy?"

"Troy, he understands that nothing can ever happen between me and him."

"Just because he understands it doesn't mean that he'll just lie down and not do anything."

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

"Then don't worry about him. I'll never let anything happen and that's all you need to know."

He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. "Fine. But I swear, if he tries anything, I'm going to kick his ass."

She laughed before kissing his lips. "I love you."

"And I love you. Now," His hands returned to their usual place on her hips, "where were we?" Lips found lips as he attempted to restart what had been interrupted by the unwanted phone call.

"Troy," she mumbled as his lips continued its onslaught. "Troy, stop." She pulled away; smiling, endearingly. "As much as I would like to continue this, I'm exhausted and I do have class tomorrow." Her fingers touched his wrists; hoping that he would understand. "Can I get a rain check?"

Nodding, he smiled and reached up to push her hair out of her eyes. "Of course." He kissed her lips, softly. "Go get some sleep. I'm gonna stay up for a little while longer."

"Okay."

When she disappeared into their bedroom, he put away the ice cream and went into the living room; turning on the television, though he wasn't really watching it. His mind was too focused on Gabriella's confession. He knew that it must have taken a lot of thinking to come to a decision like the one she had, but he promised himself—and her—that he would be there for her. She wouldn't go through this alone. Wanting to share this news, he picked up the phone and dialed Chad's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Chad."

"_Troy? What's up?"_

"I have some good news and it's about Gabriella."

"_Oh? So she finally told you?"_

"Told me? You mean…you knew?"

"_Yeah. That's actually what I went over there to talk to her about."_

"Why did you need to talk to her about it?"

"_Because Shar was worried about her, so she wanted me to convince Gabriella into telling you." _Confusion spread through Troy. _"Gabriella was so afraid that if she told you, she would jinx it and miscarry again. She wanted to wait until the twenty week mark, but…"_

"Wait, what? I'm confused. Twenty week mark?"

The line was silent. _"Didn't Gabriella tell you the truth?"_

"She told me that she was ready to have kids." Chad swore, quietly, and Troy knew there was more to this story than Gabriella had told him. "Tell me the truth, Chad; what was it that you came to talk to Gabriella about?"

Sighing, Chad answered. _"She's pregnant, Troy."_ His blood ran cold as betrayal seeped in to his bones. _"I wanted her to tell you first, but apparently she didn't listen. I'm sorry you had to find out through me."_

He rested his head in his free hand; gripping the strand of his hair in suppressed anger. "A-Are you sure?"

"_I'm sure. Shar wouldn't lie to me about this."_ Troy couldn't speak; he was afraid that if he did, all of the anger he was feeling would come tumbling out. He needed to think; needed to be rational about this. _"Look, man, I'm sorry that you had to find out through me."_

"It's fine, Chad; it's not your fault."

"_Are you gonna be all right?"_

"Yeah. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"_Okay,"_ Chad answered and Troy could hear the hesitation in his voice. _"See you. Oh, and Troy?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Don't do something you're going to regret, okay?"_

Troy didn't answer. "Bye Chad." Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and dropped his phone to the floor. He stood and made his way to the bedroom. Just as he appeared in the doorway, Gabriella walked out of the bathroom; clad in one of his t-shirts. On any normal circumstance, he would have found it endearing; but the anger that took root in his heart was too strong for him to fight. So, instead, he leant against the doorjamb with his arms crossed; waiting for her to notice him. When she did, she didn't see the anger on his face until the smile she sent him wasn't returned. But, before she could speak, he interrupted. "When were you going to tell me?"

"T-Tell you what?"

"Cut the bullshit, Gabriella. I know that you're pregnant."

"What? How…? Chad told you, didn't he?"

"He did, though it should have been you."

"I was going to, Troy; I swear."

"Really? Cause you had an opportunity when we were in the kitchen, yet I heard no such confession." He pushed off the doorframe and started towards her. "Tell me, when _exactly_ were you planning on telling me? _After_ we had sex? Or maybe in a week or so when you could cover your tracks?" She stayed silent; nodding her head only slightly. "But there's a flaw in your plan, do you know that? I mean, what would happen when we go to the doctor and you're farther along than I thought? Then what? You would tell me the truth then and I'd realize that you've been lying to me this whole time; that you knew you were pregnant way before you told me you were."

"I would have told you before then. Once I reach twenty weeks, I would have told you."

"Or, you could have told me when you first found out. Which I'm guessing was two weeks ago; you know, when you started acting strange and had me so worried about you that I actually thought you were dying. Did Chad tell you about that?" She nodded. "And it still made no difference to you." He laughed bitterly and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I can't fucking believe this."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Not hearing her words, he continued on his rampage; fueled by anger and a sense of betrayal. "You're selfish, Gabriella. You've always _been_ selfish and I can't believe I allowed myself to overlook that."

_I actually feel sorry for him for choosing a selfish bitch like you._ Her father's condescending words echoed through her mind as Troy continued to rant; but his words were lost on her. Instead, she focused on the overwhelming sense of fear that began to creep up her spine. Certain that he would leave if she didn't stop him, she reached out to him; but he evaded her touch.

"Don't." His blue eyes spoke volume. "Just…_don't_."

"Troy, please. I…"

"I don't want to hear it, Gabriella; I don't want to hear _anything_ you have to say right now. As a matter of fact," He started backing away from her, "I don't even want to be in the same _room_ as you."

She begged her voice to work—to call him back—but it refused to. So, with a heavy heart, she watched him leave; tears streaming down her face. At the sound of the front door slamming shut, she fell to her knees; strangled sobs escaping her throat. None of this was what she wanted. She didn't want him to be angry with her; she just wanted to protect him from getting hurt again. _Remember, Gabriella, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. _For the first time in a long time, she wished she had listened to her father. He had actually been thinking about her for the first time in her life. _You just better hope that that boy loves you as much as you think he does._ Sinking onto her backside, she cried out; her heart breaking within her chest as she realized she might have just destroyed the best thing that's ever happened to her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Beside You**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**A/N: Yay! I got it in, in under a month this time. This chapter as two sex scenes (right after each other). The first one starts after the second page break and the second is the first two paragraphs after the third page break. So, if there's anyone who wants to skip it you can. If there's anything you think I might have forgotten, please tell me and I'll add it to the next chapter. Sometimes I might forget to address certain things.**

**Warning: Rated M for sexual situations and language.  
**

Chapter 5

She sat in silence on the wooden bench as she waited for classes to let out. After crying for a good half hour, she found the need to talk to someone. Sharpay was out of the question; as was Chad and (possibly) Ryan. So, her only other option was Duncan. Not trusting herself to drive, she dressed and took a cab back to campus. She knew that Duncan's class would be letting out soon and he would be willing to listen to her. The campus courtyard began filling with students, but she paid none of them any mind. Her head was stuck on Troy and the things that he had said. Not realizing it, tears fell from her eyes and on to her clasped hands in her lap. Too lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realized that someone had walked up to her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Despair read in her dark gaze when she looked up to meet the eyes of the person who had interrupted her train of thought. Duncan looked back at her with concern flashing across his face. Saying nothing, he took her hand and helped her on to her feet. He reached up and wiped the tears from her face before ushering her towards his car. They drove in silence; her head leaning against the window while his spared glances at her from the corner of his eye. Minutes later, they reached his apartment and he turned towards her.

"Do you wanna come up and talk, or would you rather talk right here?"

Her head snapped to face him; she had forgotten where she was for a split second, so his voice had startled her out of her trance. She remained silent for a while before finally answering him. "I wouldn't mind going upstairs."

He smiled softly and nodded. "Come on, then." She followed him out of the car and up to his fifth floor apartment. With silent observation, she admired the interior of the space as he removed his jacket and placed it inside the front closet. "Can I get you anything?" he asked; moving towards the kitchen.

"No, thank you." Changing directions, he ushered her into the living room. She removed her jacket and took a seat on the couch; waiting patiently for Duncan to do the same. When he was seated comfortably beside her, he opened his mouth to speak; but she interrupted him before he had a chance to say anything. "Do you think I'm selfish?"

"What? _No_! O-Of course not. I think you're the least selfish person I've ever met."

She smiled at him, but it fell as quickly as it had appeared. "I used to think that way, but now…" She took a deep breath, "now I'm finding it harder to believe."

"Tell me what happened."

"Remember how I told you that I'm pregnant?" He nodded, though he really didn't want to think about that now. "Well, I've known about it for the past two weeks and I…I didn't tell Troy about it."

"Why not?"

"Because I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Gabriella dove into the entire story of her mother's death, the pregnancy she didn't realize, her miscarriage and the aftermath. By the end of it, she was in tears and Duncan quickly wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed against his shoulder; crying tears that she thought she'd run out of. When she finally calmed down minutes later, she apologized for soaking his shirt. "It's fine, Gabriella. It's just a shirt." He pressed his hand to her cheek; brushing away the salt water from her face. "So, you were afraid that if you told him…"

"That I would jinx everything and miscarry and…I can't go through that again; but now he knows and he's upset with me and I just…" She pressed her face into her hands, trying to prevent herself from crying all over again. "I don't want to lose him. I _can't_ lose him."

Sighing, he placed his hand on her back and rubbed comforting circles against her spine. "Gabriella, I know how much you love him, but… Can I be honest with you?" She nodded. "I don't think he deserves you and his reaction to all of this just proves me right."

Lifting her head, she looked at him. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so. I mean what kind of man gets upset when the woman he loves is pregnant with his child. So what if you told him two weeks after you found out. What matters are that you told him and he should be happy." Putting his hand back on her cheek, he caressed her tear-stained skin. "If it were me, I would have told you I loved you over and over. If it were me, I would have made you feel like you were the most important thing in the world." His pale blue eyes looked into hers; wanting her to see how truthful he was being as he whispered. "If it were me, I would have kissed you and never stopped."

He held her gaze; his eyes flickering towards her lips every so often. It wasn't hard for her to decipher what he wanted, but she found it hard to break through the haze that had settled over her after Troy had walked out on her. So, despite the protest from the voice at the back of her mind, she gave him no reason not to do what he had always wanted. His lips met hers; melding into hers in a sweet, but passionate, kiss. That, however, broke the haze around her and she pulled back immediately. "Duncan, what are you doing?"

"Kissing you," he responded, confused.

"I have a husband."

"Yeah, the same husband who got upset with you for keeping your pregnancy from him. Or don't you remember that?"

She stood, backing away from him. "I do remember that, but that doesn't mean that you can just kiss me. I like you, Duncan; I really do, but I love Troy with everything that I am and I know he loves me because the only reason why he was upset that I kept my pregnancy a secret for the past two weeks was because he thought I was dying and he didn't want to think of a life without me." And then everything came rushing over her. "How could I be so stupid?" she whispered to herself. Here she was, crying because she didn't think that Troy loved her as much as she thought he did, when he loved her more than she'd ever imagined. "I have to go."

"Gabriella, wait." He grabbed her arm before she could move. She looked up at him, expectantly. "Why can't you see that I can be so much more? That I can give you more than he could ever offer you?"

"Because you can't."

"How do you know that? How do you know if you won't even give me a try?"

"Duncan, I must admit that maybe in another life I would have given you a chance, but not this one. If you had known me four years ago, before I met Troy, you would have seen a completely different person and I doubt you would have felt so strongly about me as you do now. The person I am now is because of Troy. I was once broken beyond repair, but he still managed to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart and put them back together. I love him because he makes me feel whole again. You have to understand that."

As much as he didn't want to see it, Duncan couldn't deny the pure truth in Gabriella's eyes; proof that her love for Troy was real and deep. He released her arm and she smiled softly; thanking him silently before leaving.

::

What had he been thinking?

Sitting at the base of the wall, Troy ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He still couldn't believe that he had walked out on Gabriella like that; still couldn't believe the words that had spilled from his lips. He hadn't meant any of it and he hated to think that she might take those words to heart. Out of all the things he hated about himself, he hated his temper the most. His temper always caused him to say things that were far from the truth. He'd already seen the damage it could inflict before, so why couldn't he seem to learn from his mistakes? That fiery temper of his had opened old wounds before and nearly drove Gabriella to suicide. He hated to think what it had done this time. It was the reason he was sitting in front of the building; instead of going inside to see what awaited him. The sound of a car door closing caught his attention and he lifted his head. He was surprised to see Gabriella standing at the curb as a cab drove off. Their eyes met in the dim shine from the street lights. Before he could even think, he was on his feet and she was in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she buried her face in his shirt.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said, taking her head in his hands. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have called you selfish, because you're not."

"No, Troy, you were right; I am. I am selfish. I should have said something to you when I found out, but I was just so afraid. Say you'll forgive me?"

Instead of answering, he pressed his lips against hers; kissing her deeply. He poured every ounce of the love he felt for this woman into it. He wanted her to know how much his heart felt for her, how sorry he truly was, and how much he had forgiven her. "I forgave you the moment I walked out that door," he murmured against her mouth before claiming her lips once more. When he felt the need for air, he pulled back and rubbed his nose against hers. "I'm sorry for acting like such an ass, I was just…I was worried about you."

"I know. I'm sorry for making you worry about me. I, honestly, wanted to tell you, but my fear got the best of me and I…"

He silenced her with another kiss; this one short and loving. "Just promise me you won't keep something like this from me again."

She nodded. "I promise."

Smiling, he removed his hand from her face and traced them down her arms; taking her hands in his. "So…pregnant, huh?"

"Yeah," she responded, lips quirked.

"Are you okay, though?" he asked, knowing her past experience.

Her face slipped into a serious stance and she nodded. "I will be; as long as I have you, I will be."

Their lips met again before he suggested they go upstairs. Silence fell between them, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. Troy opened the front door and allowed her to enter in front of him. Their hands never parted, though. So, when he closed the door behind him and leant against it, she was halted in her tracks. She looked back at him and saw the grin on his face. His arm pulled her to him and he took her other hand in his.

"You know what this means right?" he asked when their hips touched.

She shook her head. "What?"

"It means," he started as he leant in closer to her; breath mingling with hers, "sex without condoms."

"Is that all you have on your mind?" she asked; the pointed glare she was trying to give him failed under the amusement she felt.

"No, but, I find it hard to resist you when I know that you're carrying my child in your stomach." Blushing, she looked down at her flat abdomen. He lifted her gaze to meet his and she could see, with clarity, the love and adoration he had for her.

"I love you."

His grin shifted into a sincere smile. "I love you, too."

He pressed his forehead to hers before kissing her lips. The atmosphere around them shifted as their innocent kiss became so much more. His hand beneath her chin moved to rest on her neck; his thumb caressing her jawbone. His other hand gripped her waist and pulled her closer. As the embrace continued, her fingers traced the hairs on his forearm; causing his skin to develop goosebumps. Releasing her lips, he began kissing her neck and listened to the breathy sighs escaping her throat. He locked on to her pulse point and nibbled, gently. After being certain that a bruise would form, he returned his lips to hers. Playing with the hem of his shirt, she reached underneath and dragged her blunt fingernails over his abs. Pulling away from her mouth, he sighed and opened his eyes.

"Bedroom?" he whispered; she nodded.

::

The journey from the front door to their bedroom was a complete blur to her. She didn't remember them moving from that spot. It wasn't until she felt her back hit the soft mattress did she realize that, some way or another, the transition had been made and they were no longer standing in the entryway to their apartment. She wasn't given time to try and remember it all; for when Troy's lips found hers again, all thoughts completely vanished. He played with the hem of her shirt; fingers brushing against her skin and causing her to shudder. He pushed it upwards until it revealed her bra-clad chest. His mouth left hers; caressing her jawbone, the expanse of her neck and her collarbone until latching on to one of her nipples beneath the fabric of her bra. Sighing, she pushed her head into the pillow behind her; back arching off the bed. Troy reached around to undo the clasp of her bra. Once that was out of the way, her shirt (along with her bra) was removed completely and thrown into some unknown direction. He, then, moved to unbutton her jeans. Lifting her legs, he was able to pull her jeans off and tossed them to the floor (her sneakers had been abandoned by the front door and she hadn't bothered to put on any socks earlier). Gabriella bit her lip as Troy spread her legs and nestled his hips between them before leaning down to kiss her stomach. Her body burned with each touch of his lips as they descended lower and lower. Gaze laced with love and lust, she watched him through half-lidded eyes; his head getting further and further away from her. Anticipation fluttered over her face as he neared closer to the heat between her legs. She closed her eyes when she felt his finger pull aside the cloth covering her center and felt his breath ghosting over her nether lips. Her head pressed into the pillow underneath her at the feel of his mouth closing over her clit. Breathless and burning, she grasped the back of his head; fingers weaving through the strands and clutching hard. Soft moans escaped her throat and replaced the silence that had only been filled by their heaving breathing. Troy pressed a single digit into her opening while his tongue flickered over the sensitive nub.

"Oh…_f-fuck!_" she whispered; hand still tangled in his auburn hair. She gave it one quick tug and he moaned in appreciation; sending a mind-numbing vibration through her womanhood that nearly made her lose all control. "Troy. Troy, I need…I need…" Her words were lost to the overall bliss that had taken over her body, causing her to be unable to think properly.

"What do you need?" he asked; still knuckle deep inside of her. He stroked her walls and watched her come undone right before his very eyes. She cried out as an orgasm shook her entire body. He pulled his finger out and slid up until he was face to face with her. "What is it that you need?"

Waiting until she was able to think correctly, Gabriella opened her brown eyes; a haze of desire filtering over them. "I need you…to fuck me."

Smirking, he kissed her lips and removed his shirt. When he went to remove his jeans, she stopped his hands and he looked at her. She shook her head and began undoing the buckle on his belt before un-fastening the buttons. He held himself over her as she pushed the denim down as far as she could reach; using her feet to remove it the rest of the way. She did the same to his boxers (moving them as far down as she could before resorting to having to use her feet) and he kicked both off when they were at his ankles. Nestling his lower body once more between her legs, he kissed her mouth. Suddenly, he found himself on his back with Gabriella grinning down at him. She kissed his lips, then his jaw, then his collarbone, then his scar. She continued this way until she got to his erect member. He sighed when her mouth descended on him; fingers weaving through her dark tresses. Moments later, she released him with a 'pop' and situated herself so that he was lined up with her. Eyes closed, lips slightly parted, Gabriella helped him penetrate her folds and let out a small whimper when he was fully sheathed within her.

"Open your eyes."

She did so, willingly. Dark amber met azure as she rolled her hips. He stared at her; eyes never straying. The intensity in his light blue gaze was enough to send her over the edge for the second time that night, but they were far from done. Even as her orgasm racked her body, she never stopped moving. Lifting his arms, Troy offered her his hands and she took them; lacing their fingers together. This was how they made love with the sound of skin on skin and their shallow breathing to be their only soundtrack. When she reached her fourth orgasm, he found himself ready to finish with her. He took one of his hands and placed it on her stomach. She smiled and shadowed him; putting her own over his. There was life growing inside of her; life that they created and neither one couldn't be any happier. Throwing her head back, she screamed silently and he stilled beneath her as he reached his end. He grabbed her hips and thrust up into her a few more times before collapsing against the bed in exhaustion. Gabriella's body slumped against his and he wrapped his arms around her; holding her to him.

"I know I've said it before, but," he said, breathlessly, "_that_ was the best sex I've ever had."

She giggled and rolled off of him; snuggling up to his side. Her fingers lazily traced his scar as her body hummed. "I agree."

"You never said how far along you were."

"Well, you never asked." He looked at her expectantly. "I'm nearly two months."

"Two months? That means that you conceived on our honeymoon."

Smiling, she nodded. "You're correct."

"But, you've been taking the birth control pills. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but how did this happen?"

"I forgot. Remember our last night in Puerto Rico? I had forgotten to take my pill that morning. And it works like a regular pill: forget to take and you have to deal with the consequences."

"Do you regret forgetting?"

"No," she responded. "I thought I would, but I don't."

Taking her hand, he wove their fingers together and kissed the inside of her wrist where the faded scars of her past once lay. "I'm glad that you don't." He kissed her forehead. "Because, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I'll always be right here."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Hands still intertwined, the couple was asleep in a matter of minutes; smiles still adorning their faces, hearts beating in time with each other.

::

Gabriella awoke the next morning to the sound of his light snoring. Turning onto her back, she found that their positions had shifted during the night and Troy was currently sleeping with his back to her. She turned onto her side and traced his flesh with her fingertips. He could've awoken at any time, but she didn't care. It was like she was unable to not touch him. If her hands weren't caressing his skin then her lips were and if her lips weren't then her body was. Slinking up behind him, she wrapped a careful arm around his mid-section (like he had always done to her) and kissed his shoulder. He still tasted of salty sweat from their love-making. Her vision blurred as she remembered their activities from hours before. She could still feel his hands on her skin; his lips on her lips, both above and below. She shuddered and pressed her face into his shoulder-blade. Her hormones were racing. Without much thought, she slid her hand down his side and to the semi-erect cock that greeted her. Gabriella's teeth bit gently down on the skin of his neck as her hand slid over his member. He moaned and she stopped.

"I fucking swear, Gabriella, if you don't keep going, I will be forced to take drastic measures," he growled.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

He said nothing as he turned around, spread her legs and slammed into her. She groaned loudly, but didn't protest. This wasn't like the sweet love-making of the night before. No, this was more urgent, but still held passion. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders; the pain just providing further incentive for him to move faster and fuck harder. Within minutes, they were both hurdling over the edge. Troy buried his head in her neck and bit down hard. His name slid off the tip of her tongue as she came; sweat glistening on her olive skin. He breathed heavily; his hips thrusting erratically before stilling entirely. He kissed her neck and breathed in her scent. If he could stay inside this woman for all of eternity, he would (or at least for another few minutes). But, other body parts had other ideas and his stomach growled; ruining the moment.

Gabriella laughed out loud. "Hungry?"

"Apparently so."

"Well, then get up so I can go make breakfast."

He groaned. "I don't want to."

"Then you'll go hungry."

Food or sex? Food or sex? His stomach growled once more and he knew what his decision would have to be. Sighing, he pulled out of her and moved to lie beside her. She smiled and kissed him before sliding out of bed. He watched her; naked and still glowing. The stirring beneath his navel told him that he should just pull her back into bed and make love to her until the moon rose again, but his famished stomach told him that he needed to eat first. _Eat first, fuck later._ Gabriella pulled on a clean pair of panties and the shirt he had been wearing yesterday and left the room. He followed moments later; pulling on his boxers and jeans. Entering the kitchen, he found her already ready to prepare breakfast. He hopped onto the kitchen counter and followed her with his eyes. Then a thought came to mind; one that he realized he never asked about.

"Why were you getting out of a cab, yesterday?"

She froze for a quick moment before continuing on. "I needed someone to talk to."

"So, what, you went to find Sharpay?"

"No," she answered with some bitterness. Even though she wasn't completely mad at her best friend, she still felt a bit betrayed and it left her feeling bitter. "Shar did something I told her not to do. She was kind of the last person I wanted to talk to."

"Then who?" he asked, confusion on his face.

Glancing at him, she knew she had to tell him, but she also knew that he wouldn't like the answer. "Well," She took a deep breath, "I went to talk to Duncan."

A skipped beat. "What?"

She sighed. "You heard me, Troy; please don't make me repeat it."

"Why would you go talk to him?"

"Who else was I going to talk to? Chad, Sharpay and Ryan were going to take your side no matter what I said. Kelsi went back to Boston and Taylor's been busy with Max and the new baby. Besides, I had to find someone neutral in all of this."

"He is _far_ from being a neutral party. I mean, the guy is practically in love with you."

"I know this, Troy, but I needed someone and he was there. He didn't judge me."

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he reminded himself that he needed to shave when he felt the stubble scratch his palm. "So, what did he say?"

"Everything I wanted to hear…and everything that I didn't."

"What do you mean 'everything that you didn't'?"

"He told me that I deserved someone better than you."

His heart clenched in his chest. "And did you believe him?"

She turned to him; smile on her face. "If I did, I wouldn't be here." He sighed in relief. "He…he did kiss me, though."

"What?" Troy had always been jealous, she knew this, but the pure hatred that the man felt for Duncan was unprecedented. "That little shit."

Turning off the stove, she walked up to him; situating her body between his legs. "Troy, he's not worth it. I pushed him away; told him that I love you. Hell, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have realized how stupid I was being. He made me realize that you were upset because you thought you were going to lose me and I didn't help by not telling you the truth. I told him how much I love you and how much I've grown from the person I used to be; how you helped me grow. He understood completely that he didn't have a chance in hell with me." She clutched his hand. "He understood that, in this life, you're the only one for me."

He smiled and cupped her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you."

They kissed and the world seemed to fall away. The sound of his stomach was the only thing that brought them back to reality. She smiled sheepishly and went back to finish making breakfast. He continued to watch her; small smile on his face. Hopping off the counter, he sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her; palms splayed across her lean stomach. In a few months' time, this stretch of skin would be expanded; showing the world the life she carried inside of her. He never thought his life would become like this, then he met her and she changed his mind. Now she was making it even better. He loved her; more than life itself. Loved her for that piece of her past she constantly carried with her; loved her for her determination to want a better future. Nothing in his life could ever amount to this little piece of heaven that he had found in the broken woman who had healed his heart.


End file.
